PEOPLE who feel sorry for the former Premier are the Major Irritant of the week. Over Cup Match we all heard a lot of discussion about the recent election shenanigans. Some people felt sorry for former Premier Jennifer Smith, even some United Bermuda Party (UBP) supporters. Some people felt that it was the wrong time to wrench the power sceptre away.

"She won two elections for her party," one person said. "They didn't have to do that to her."

I disagree. The former Premier failed to follow the three basic tenets of nursery school: be nice, play fair and say you're sorry when you make a mistake.

What amazed me was after winning her St. George's seat by eight votes, the former Premier had no suggestions for what she could have done better. Here was a moment for humility. Here was a time to say, 'maybe I really shouldn't have tried to move the St. George's police station even though my constituents begged and pleaded with me not to; maybe I should have smiled more, and not wasted two gift pages of the Royal Gazette by aggressively saying nothing at all. Maybe I should have got that old platform thingie out sooner'. But there was nothing like that, just the usual defensiveness.

No, I don't feel sorry for the former Premier. She had her chance. Now it's time to let someone else take a swing on the merry-go-around. The premiership is not a queenship. You don't keep it until you die. Why the shock and dismay at letting someone else have a turn? That's what democracy is all about.

I have no idea what scandals the future holds, but, so far, I think Premier Alex Scott is the best thing to happen to Bermuda since the Progressive Labour Party (PLP) came into power.

So what if Mr. Scott is a spin doctor? After years of hearing the former Premier snap at reporters, I'm starved for simple platitudes.

How nice it is to be half awake in the morning and hear Premier Scott whispering sweet nothings on the radio like, 'this government is for everybody'. Tell me again how Bermuda is finally going forward. Ah... beam me up, Scottie.

The former Premier must be feeling pretty bitter right now. She sacrificed so much of her life to politics and now her political career has hit a shoal. In a recent interview with Ayo Johnson, the former Premier asked Mr. Johnson why he had no wife and children. I would ask her the same thing. Where's the husband? Where are the children? The alternative career path?

Her whole life appears to be centred around one thing, and that's never healthy. In the election aftermath she seemingly fell apart completely. Gone was the well-coiffed hair. She appeared on television, for the first time, looking as though she hadn't slept all night. Her emergency cabinet stood behind her with their chins around their ankles. And later, the normally well-attired Col. David Burch came to a press conference dressed in sweat fatigues, as though he'd been called to the press conference in the middle of his daily run.

And yet, despite the casualness of the two, the former Premier still couldn't drive herself away from the Cabinet Office. As I watched Col. Burch drive her away, I thought, does she even know how to drive?

Ironically, it was partly Col. Burch driving her around that did so much damage to her popularity. Bermudians appreciate humility. During former Premier David Saul's time how people talked admiringly of how he could be seen riding to work on a moped. I remember, as a small child seeing the former Premier John Swan walking through town, shaking people's hands and chatting in a friendly, normal way.

Former Premier Pam Gordon used to walk into the Royal Gazette offices and joke with the reporters about her love life.

Days before this month's election, I read with interest letters in the Royal Gazette from former PLP supporters. One lady said she was reconsidering her vote. Why? Not because of the Bermuda Housing Corporation scandal or the taxi situation or the botch-up that the PLP have made with education. No she'd changed her mind because the PLP all drove around in shiny cars and were reported to drink expensive champagne.

Think of all the votes the Premier could have saved herself, simply by drinking ginger beer. On a beat up Scoopy, she could have taken St. George's by storm.